The X-Files: Apocrypha (Part 2/2) Rewatch
May 1, 2020 7:03 PM - Season 3, Episode 16 - Subscribe
Mulder continues his investigation of the black oil. Scully pursues the man who murdered her sister.
Chromosome stain some of the hair fibers we picked up last night is just wrong, and the "hair fibers" need the follicle. I'm assuming a misguided script edit changed DNA fingerprint to chromosome stain.
That radiograph, though, that could actually be an authentic VNTR-type DNA fingerprint from... omg, 25 years ago. The "lanes" with a lot of "bands" - those are size markers - rulers. The (mostly - this person is really heterozygous) two bands in the other lanes are probably amplification products of a defined set of variable repeat loci. They type 17 loci which is about right for criminal forensic purposes.
Markers and amplified samples are loaded on a polyacrilamide slab gel and everything gets sorted by size. The markers and amplified signals have a little bit of radioactive isotope attached to it. You then expose x-ray film to the gel, a pita, and then develop the film. This might have had a 48 hour turnaround or more? 24 with integrated equipment? Our lab does VNTR daily, and can do a human fingerprint in about 4 hours or less and we just have random equipment mostly from the last decade instead of an integrated system.
Later on, Scully refers to them as "PCR results" which they are. irl, they don't match up that precisely, those were copies down to the artefacts and background.
posted by porpoise at 1:43 PM on May 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
That radiograph, though, that could actually be an authentic VNTR-type DNA fingerprint from... omg, 25 years ago. The "lanes" with a lot of "bands" - those are size markers - rulers. The (mostly - this person is really heterozygous) two bands in the other lanes are probably amplification products of a defined set of variable repeat loci. They type 17 loci which is about right for criminal forensic purposes.
Markers and amplified samples are loaded on a polyacrilamide slab gel and everything gets sorted by size. The markers and amplified signals have a little bit of radioactive isotope attached to it. You then expose x-ray film to the gel, a pita, and then develop the film. This might have had a 48 hour turnaround or more? 24 with integrated equipment? Our lab does VNTR daily, and can do a human fingerprint in about 4 hours or less and we just have random equipment mostly from the last decade instead of an integrated system.
Later on, Scully refers to them as "PCR results" which they are. irl, they don't match up that precisely, those were copies down to the artefacts and background.
posted by porpoise at 1:43 PM on May 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
Now I want a soft pretzel, too.
posted by tobascodagama at 3:10 PM on May 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by tobascodagama at 3:10 PM on May 2, 2020 [1 favorite]
CSM was also smoking in a hospital room containing a radiation burn victim in critical condition. What a guy.
I remember finding Nicholas Lea hot when I watched these episodes ten or so years ago. Now I feel nothing, and I find it gratifying when bad things happen to Krycek. He's such a slimy weasel that no one likes or respects him.
Skinner comes to the aid of the diner waitress when a customer is being an asshole to her because of course he does.
The three actors who play The Lone Gunman are all Canadian, and like most Canadian boys they had skated as children, but not since. And I can tell you as someone who took figure skating lessons for two years as a child and couldn't skate across a rink now that it's not like riding a bicycle. The commentary track for this episode said they had difficulty skating. Frohike was supposed to be checking out the women he skated by, but he found it too difficult to both leer and skate, so he just skated.
posted by orange swan at 8:42 AM on May 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
I remember finding Nicholas Lea hot when I watched these episodes ten or so years ago. Now I feel nothing, and I find it gratifying when bad things happen to Krycek. He's such a slimy weasel that no one likes or respects him.
Skinner comes to the aid of the diner waitress when a customer is being an asshole to her because of course he does.
The three actors who play The Lone Gunman are all Canadian, and like most Canadian boys they had skated as children, but not since. And I can tell you as someone who took figure skating lessons for two years as a child and couldn't skate across a rink now that it's not like riding a bicycle. The commentary track for this episode said they had difficulty skating. Frohike was supposed to be checking out the women he skated by, but he found it too difficult to both leer and skate, so he just skated.
posted by orange swan at 8:42 AM on May 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
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CSM: "Isn't that the prognosis?"
Yikes. But if I was that patient, that would have been a relief to hear that I'd get a quick death.
Scully seemed so disappointed when the local cops showed up.
Neat iconic X Files visual effect with the flashlights in the silo.
Kind of have to feel for Krycek. But nah.
In the establishing shot of the FBI Headquarters in DC, you can tell it's on location. No street soft pretzels in Vancouver. Hell, no mall soft pretzels either. Damn I want a soft pretzel.
posted by porpoise at 1:42 PM on May 2, 2020